Yuba Raj
Subedi
PhD Candidate
University of New England
I am a Nepalese citizen currently pursuing PhD study at the University of New England, Australia. In my PhD work, I am examining the underlying drivers of agricultural land abandonment and its reutilization options in the hill agro-ecological region of Nepal. The ultimate objective of my study is to provide an understanding of how the issue of farmland abandonment is emerging and what impacts has it caused in the hill agro-ecological region of Nepal. Moreover, through this study, I hope to contribute to evidence-based policies to identify the pathways to reutilize the abandoned farmlands in the hills of Nepal.
Before starting my PhD study, I used to work with a research organization named ForestAction Nepal (https://www.forestaction.org/) in different agricultural land-related projects. During this period, I was primarily responsible for conducting participatory and policy research focused on agriculture, agroforestry, food security, and livelihoods. I was involved in designing research, devising research tools, gathering qualitative and quantitative information from the fields, documenting the findings, and preparing written outputs including journal articles, discussion papers, and policy briefs.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Agriculture from the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, and a master’s degree in Ecology and the Environment from Linkoping University, Linkoping, Sweden.